#sorry for all the autism posts its been going wild lately

[altermay]

Art teacher asked if anyone had seen a clockwork orange and I almost did something autistic but I contained myself

[slaingelo]

for your apocalypse au, have you thought about what started it, or what type of zombies it is? i absolutely love zombie media, like i go insane for zombies shows/movies/books, so this au is v interesting

YEAH !!!!

i'll be talking about viruses here n shtuff specifically rabies a lot so anyone who's squicked out by that feel free to skip this post.

so if you're like, into the scientific analysis of "how could something cause this IRL" with zombies you probably know that it very frequently goes back to rabies, if not mushrooms/parasites, being the closest real world comparison !! so like first i'm going to dive into rabies because my zombies here are directly based on it.

first off right off the bat. rabies, in real life, does not make humans turn into feral monsters.

I'm going into writing this with the assumption that Someone reading this might not be familiar with rabies, so anon if you're reading this and you already know a lot about rabies I'm sorry !! you activated the AUTISM and I'm goin ham, take most of this to be directed at anyone else who's reading. i might have a few of my facts mixed or jumbled as well because I'm relying on memory for all of this so take it with a grain of salt !!!

SO;

the reason animals become so violent is generally more so due to the confusion and fear rabies causes. while some humans need to be tied down, it's generally for their own safety or so they don't hit anyone. hit, not bite. sometimes they flail around. it's very rare for rabies to transfer between humans because humans don't have a reason to bite- if scared, flailing/hitting/scratching is more natural to us, and rabies is only transferred through saliva.

as an important note to how the zombie virus in my story works, its important to understand that rabies travels through the nervous system; not the blood. before symptoms appear, it's in a rest period. once symptoms appear, even just a mild headache, it is too late. [don't take this to be fear mongering lmao. just like, don't handle wild animals if you're not trained to and if you think you've been bit by anything go get your post-exposure rabies shot.]

so !! the virus in my au is a direct evolution of the rabies virus. the zombies because of this technically aren't even zombies, since they're not dead; but they're basically just hosts to the virus. their consciousness deteriorates so much that there's no Them in there anymore really.

this is where it kinda slightly leans into a slight idea of parasite-y shit even if it's not a parasite; if the host dies, the virus can't spread anymore, so unlike real world rabies that ends in death Quickly, this one wracks the body's system much slower. while this means there's more time to find some way to be saved depending on your circumstances, it also means if you don't, it's going to be worse for you. you'll be terribly sick and then just... gone to the most animalistic instincts that were locked away in your head [attack anything that moves, eat eat eat eat-]

and on that note ! one of the biggest issues if you think too hard about it with rabies -> zombies is that you can't really swallow when rabies takes hold. hydrophobia develops, and the brain starts to fuck up on muscle control and movements. so yeah this is kinda just getting cut out for the evolved version here, let's say this smarter virus evolved to Not do that so the host survives longer via being able to still eat. hydrophobia remains because I said so, though probably more so in the way that they can't swim and would just sink to the bottom of any body of water- so the virus just makes them stay away from it.

ANYWAYS.!!!! yeah the virus moving slowly through the body is how Blue survives, Green cut off his arm while all the virus was still In It. Obviously this won't work if you get bit somewhere worse, but most bites would probably be in the arm anyways. you'd also kinda need a trustworthy companion because chances are you'll be out of commission for a bit and likely infected with some other bullshit because hey !!! shit ain't aseptic out here !! Green was able to find some antibiotics that helped, but Blue wasn't doing too hot for a bit there. it's a very risky idea but it worked out for them...

AS FOR HOW IT ALL STARTED I haven't though about that too much honestly. mostly because all the characters are just- normal people. they had no involvement with whatever happened, but i thought up a few ideas since there surely would've been Some news reporting, and my favourite one;

natural evolution of the rabies virus. suddenly, even though it was supposed to be gone from the area, reports of rabid animals were showing up again- and now, lots more people too. it seems like the post exposure vaccine isn't helping anymore...

some other ideas i had that i was less fond of but might as well put out;

a cliche "someone was fucking around and finding out about creating a bioweapon out of rabies and it Went Terribly Wrong, who'da thunk!"

i think it's been done in some movie idk i don't watch many zombie movies, where it was specifically rabies that a human caught that they then intentionally spread to other humans and it got stronger with direct spreading to more human hosts or something idk

i think i had more ideas but like idk this is what i could remember HGJDSGHDSH anyways i hope that's a pretty clear answer, kinda went a bit off topic now and then i kinda wanted an excuse to info dump about rabies. for the ppl who were saying it sounded like an interesting interest when i mentioned it before here you go. i need to make a nuclear apocalypse au......

[galacticbugman]

My Favorite Insects

Well howdy ya’ll Galactic Bug Man here with another blog post. Sorry this is long over due I have been busy with school and I have had some family issues that needed to be resolved this last few months but I am back with another blog post and just in time for the start of *drum roll* *fanfare* INSECT SEASON! or just spring. 

So In my last post that was back in November I said that I would talk about what are my favorite insects. For the record some people may tell you that you can only have one or two favorites of everything. Well for me that has always been hard for me. Anything that interests me automatically becomes an obsession with me. With the autism it is kind of hard to ignore things that have a profound interest with me. Some people just have one favorite or each category. As for my goofy/nerdy self I have many favorites on many levels. For me I don’t just have one favorite science fiction TV Show or movie, same goes for Cartoons, comedies, food...eh you get the picture. Anyway I don’t just have a single favorite family of animals or just one favorite species for each. 

In my line of a hobby it is the thrill of the search and an encounter goes. For me favorites come in many forms and have different lifestyles, and sometimes the story that will form when I find an organism helps make an organism my favorite. So there are many things that add up to make an organism a favorite. For me it is all of these put together. Even though I am a storyteller of sorts and love to share experiences I have had finding certain species. So now let us go into some of  my favorites from the world of insects. Even though I am a birder too think I am just going to leave this post strictly for the insects. Just FYI I am expanding my blog to more than just insects. In the future I will be talking about birds, mammals, and all things natural. So with that said let us dive in to Insect family #1... 

Beetles have become a growing obsession for me in the last few years. Back when I was in the Future Farmers of America I participated in an entomology contest once in the spring of 2011 then I did another one in spring of 2012.It was like a UIL contest of sorts but it was an FFA governed contest. We had to study a list of 125 or 150 insects I can’t really remember the amount we had to ID but it was a lot. The Texas Ironclad Beetle was one of the many on the list. (the picture was a photo I took of one during the 2017 iNaturalist City Nature Challenge of that same species.) The FFA contest really opened my eyes to loving the insect world. I became quite interested in the lives of insects and the ways they work. Butterflies had always been a favorite subject of mine ever since I was in grade school. My late grandmother (who passed away back in August of last year) got me butterflies and we had a garden at the house we moved from back in April for a long time. Most insects didn’t really appeal to me until my time with the Martin High School FFA. Me and the teams I had both years won first prize at the contests so that is how my love for loving insects a lot more than I did started to grow. Beetles started to grow on me. There have been many species that I have seen in the last few years that I wouldn’t believe existed. Some are just so amazing to watch and to photograph. 

 A growing favorite group of mine would have to be the Tiger Beetles. They are some of the prettiest and most vibrant colored of the beetles. This one was found at Thora Hart Park a few blocks from where I live now. We moved back in April of last year. This was found on one of our getting ready to move days. This guy is called a Chartreuse Tiger Beetle. It is a really shiny one. I found this one on one of the sand paths out there in the back forty of the park. It is small but the number of Tigers is amazing. There are a lot of deep sands out there and on any given hot and sunny day they will be out. Tiger Beetles are known for being fast throughout their lives. They have good eyesight even when they are larva which is kind of interesting for an insect. They are also predatory their whole lives. With a sharp pair of scissor-like mandibles and a tiger like attitude they are a fascinating beetle to observe. Both fast runners and fast fliers they one of an insect’s worst nightmares. This one was really cool. I saw this flash of green and blue. Then it landed in front of me and then I saw a flash of red. These guys are actually yellow on their wing covers; but when the sun hits them just right they shine a bright reddish orange color. That is what makes them really appealing to me. We all like shiny things don’t we? Shiny rocks, Pokemon, silver, gold. You name it people love shiny objects. For me shiny beetles are no different. 

Another one of my favorites is this one called the Carolina Tiger Beetle. This one was one cool Tiger Beetle. I was out at a park called Parr Park in Grapevine Texas. There was a bunch of these guys running about the light traps we were using during one of our field investigations which was a Moth Night. A moth night or mothing event is where you set out lights with different wave lengths and purposely attract insects to photograph and document them. I have been on several in the last couple of years and they are loads of fun. They are cool because you don’t always get to see the creatures of the nocturnal world that often if you are a day person. Me I am more of an afternoon and night person. I have never been much of a morning person.That doesn’t mean I won’t get up early some days and go early morning birding or something like that. I do that sort of thing all the time but the night time when it is really muggy and sticky outside the bugs just come from out of the wood work. I don’t suggest doing those kinds of events if you don’t like bugs touching you or if you have a fear of insects because they will get into you mouth and your hair. Anyway getting back on track. I had my flashlight on and I was just looking down to see what I could find. I saw a couple of purple streaks running around at the base of our sheets that the bugs would cling to while we took photos. These guys really catch your eye and the refection from a headlamp or a flashlight is amazing when the light bounces off these guys. It is amazing how shiny they are. That is why I love these guys because one they are appealing by vibrancy in color and by their amazing patterns and shades. They are amazing little creatures. They are tiny and you can easily miss them. That is why you will not have tour guide going to have a tour guide with a group of people looking for these guys. They are too small and will flee in an instant. Still going out by yourself will be your best bet on seeing these guys. 

Another one of my favorite beetles is this kind. This one is known by only a scientific name. It is called Zygogramma Heterothecae. It is a mouth full I know. This photo was taken at Tarrant County College’s South Campus where I go to school. I found this guy on one of my study breaks. On most study breaks I either go to the school’s game room and hang out with the other nerds or I go out and see what insects I can find so I can upload them to iNaturalist. This guy was at one of the best places to look for insects on campus (the library). This guy was the first one I have seen. Just look at those markings; it almost looks like a tribal painting or something from a tropical land. It is amazing how these guys look. I posted it to the iNaturalist website and turns out it had never been found in the Metroplex before so I got to expand its range just a little bit. That is another factor that makes an insect my favorite for its rarity or if it is a new one for a new range of territory. I have expanded ranges for a lot of insects on iNaturalist in the three years I have been using it. It is not that I am a big shot or anything it is just that I like to take pictures of everything from common insects and birds to the really hard to see ones. It is often the small things that are the least observed. I don’t know just how many species in total I have expanded for but I have also found several firsts for many parks around the area. One of my friends tries to give me the big head and calls me a rockstar. The truth is I am no rockstar or super naturalist I am just doing what a citizen scientist does take photos and send them on the database website and let nature take its course. I mean it is cool that I have found a lot of species that are rare and maybe out of place but I am not one who likes to take credit; I am the kind of person that likes to give credit when it is due. I have always been modest in this case. But yes finding rare things like this adds to the value. 

Sometimes a bug just has to look like a spaceship or an visitor from another world to get my vote. Many insects I encounter remind me of things from Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica (1978 version with the Ovion Bug People) among other science fiction movies and TV shows. This guy Delphinia Picta or Picture Winged Fly is a wild looking one. It almost reminds me of the Bounty Hunter Greedo that worked for Jabba the Hutt that Han Solo blew away with his laser pistol in Star Wars IV A New Hope. It has a head that looks just like Greedo’s face minus the green with the bumpy texture and the funny looking ears. This guy is just bizarre looking all together. It looks like a starship with a Greedo head. so that is kind of fun and adds to the favorites if they remind you of fun things like that. Many insects in my mind always look like a sci-fi or horror movie monster from the 1930s- 1960s with the B horror classics. That is just it with being a nerd you see things like that out in nature and as a huge nerd of science fiction and stuff like that I have a lot of fun with it. I seriously can’t be out with a group on a BioBlitz see a bug and shoot off my mouth with some kind of silly science fiction reference. Thankfully I am with people that get it so I am safe but yes it is true that I can’t go a day without referencing a TV show, movie, or book. I am just that kind of guy even when it comes to nature. I surprised no one has gotten sick of me yet in my naturalist group. Lets look at another insect that looks like an alien shall we. 

This guy is called the Wheel Bug. Named after its weird Buzz Saw like blade on his midsection. I am surprised that when they made the Starship Troopers series they didn’t make a bug that looked like this monster. This guy is a true monster. I It conjurers up a lot of science fiction nightmares just by looking at it but man I live for this kind of stuff. I love weird looking bugs. The weirder the creature the more blown my mind is. Sometimes the things with a face only a mother could love are the best things to look at. This guy you do not want to pick up just FYI. It can bite and it bites hard. I have never been bitten but good golly I know people that have been bitten and they say it is a feeling you don’t want to have. It may not kill you but it can leave one nasty mark. This guy is a member of the Assassin Bug group and it is one of the largest. Most assassins don’t get this big but these guys are over an inch long in some cases. They are a true monster but heck just as long as you keep your distance they can’t hurt you. So that is one factor for me I guess. Some animals like elephants may remind you of Dumbo or a baby deer may remind you of Bambi. However if you are into bugs and a pop culture nerd you will probably be seeing some Close Encounters business. Just saying I have been on the sci-fi bandwagon all my life and let me tell you some insects get even stranger and bring even more science fiction stuff to the table. 

Some times it just has to have a fun name to say and since we just went down a path of sci-fi reference I think this one would be great to talk about. This little butterfly is known as a Phaon Crescent. I think that name sounds so much like a ship name (just the Phaon part). This guy is a very pretty butterfly that looks very much like a starburst or a disco ball. It is a very interesting butterfly and is just as small as its sister species called the Pearl Crescent which we get here in Texas too. These are not as common for me on a more personal note but they do happen quite frequently. Both are really pretty but this one gets bonus points for having such a cool name. 

Sometimes to be a favorite they have to look weird before you can figure them out and know what they are doing. As in this case for this little Yellow-collared Slug Moth. You see that arched thing? that is its butt. I am just going to say this now like I have said so many times I am glad I don’t have to put my face near my butt for protection. This moth is in its defensive position. I was in a group doing another event out at Parr Park and I was coming back with a few other and I spotted him on a garbage can and we couldn’t figure out what he was or what exactly he was doing. So yes sometimes the oddest bits of behavior help with the humor of a potential favorite observation.This guy was just doing what he does best when not looking for food or a mate. 1. he had chosen a good hiding spot that matched his color. 2. he was just in the defense position so that way nothing serious would happen to him if he was attacked. 3. It just looked funny to us. We all gave it crazy bewildered looks trying to make heads or tails out of it. Turns out many moths do the same thing like the Eggplant Leaf-roller Moth and others. So sometimes the things we don’t understand may seem like a good laugh and that could add to a fond memory. 

So that is it some of my favorite insect moments frozen in time. I have tons more favorites but it is kind of hard to cram them all into a single blog post when you have over 5,000 observations and over 1,370 species on your life list. That is kind of hard to pick and choose all of your favorites. I would like to hear what your favorite animals are and how you pick and choose your favorites. So until we meet again readers stay tuned for more from me Galactic Bug Man. I will see you on the trail. See you soon! gotta run. 

[sirens-gemberry]

So For anyone who knows the blog well enough, ya’ll know about how I did a reference sheet for Ren way back in early-late august. However, alot of the colors were....outdated, to put it lightly. Since then, my art and coloring style has improved; and I wanted to show that through a more updated reference sheet. And yes, I know I didn’t do the fancy highlighting hair thing as I did in other photos- however this is more-so to keep a reference on their base-colors. I could’ve-- and should’ve-- done a color pallet on the side, but eh. It’s a school night. 

Below will be separated in base-game information, route information, and lore information. Proceed carefully, as underneath the readmore is a lot of heavy topics, including all forms of abuse, alcohol, psychological disorders, and suicide. Note; that things are also very, very long underneath the readmore. Stay cautious, farmers! 

Base Game Info (Since it’s hard to read) 

Name: ‘Soren’ Ren E. Sharp 

Age: During Y1, 22

Birthday: Summer 17th, Cancer Zodiac

Pronouns: They/Them

Relations: Crushing on Abigail through Y1, Crushing on and Inevitably Marrying Shane Years 2 and Onward. Best Friends with Emily Fry, and Sam Velarms. Familial relationships with Yasmine Sharp; their sister, and eventually Harvey Lancaster- her husband. By Years 5, they are related to Nova Hale, their daughter, and Year 13; Finch Hale, their adopted daughter.

Hates: Rocks, Cave flies, Smoking

Dislikes: Milk, Alcohol (Post Year 3), Wild Horseradish, Fish (Aside from Tuna)

Likes: Cranberries, Fairy Flowers, Ruby

Loves: Fire Opal, Peaches, Apples, Summer Spangle

Proficiencies: Creative Arts, Creative Writing, Fishing, Animal Ranching 

Inept Skills: Mining, Combat, Social Interaction

Route Interactions (Ments of Alcohol, Suicide, etc. Proceed with Caution.)

0-2 Hearts: Very Suspicious and On guard, However they appear lighthearted and cheerful- even going as far as to regard the player as a friend upon first interaction. However, when asked about certain aspects of their life they immediately shy away from it, instead diverting the topic back to the player. It’s not until 2 hearts that they talk about their sister, and her somewhat aggressive nature; mostly apologizing for it. The more time goes on though, the more times they’re found in the saloon- very drunk- or just not within the town; instead opting to stay home. 

3 Hearts: At this point they start trusting the player more, and in one noted scene they are caught drawing on their front porch. They ask if you want to watch them draw, and eventually asking if you wish to draw something as well. They seem happy to do so, however there’s a noted touch of some melancholy under their tones. 

4 Hearts: As time goes on, the cheerful facade has started to fade, giving away to something darker that they either don’t know about or- more likely- refuse to acknowledge. 

5 Hearts: The player finds them in the midst of a suicide attempt gone awry around 12 AM, and ends up having to haul them over to Harvey’s clinic in the middle of the night. It’s there once having to go through being patched up and what-not that; that they come clean to the player on how everything they’ve been feeling, but still being uncertain about getting help. Through the player’s choices, they either will then or will within a later point in the game. 

6-8 Hearts: A lot happens within this time frame; including coming out to the rest of the town as a transmasculine nonbinary, as well as bisexual. Depending on the 5 heart event, the 7 heart scene includes helping them go to counseling for the first time; as they’re too scared to go on their own. Through this, you find out more about their true personality beyond the depressive and cheerful facades they put up. The 8 heart scene follows a touch more on their romantic aspect, asking the player to dance with them on the beach as one of their more spontaneous acts; but for the first time they seem genuinely happy. At least, the slight sliver of happiness that starts coming through. 

9-10 Hearts: After properly asking them out-- usually a much more teary cutscene than the normal one within the game itself-- they start acting more on their own accord, and visually brightening up around the player. Gifts from them will be more plentiful than in other heart levels, and notes will be genuinely romantic and well written. Their 10 heart Cutscene goes into how they’re happy that they met the player, and thanking them for being patient with them. Depending on the 5 Heart scene, they’ll either thank them as well for either encouraging them to go, or if they didn’t- that they do plan on going after today. They do then initiate a small but nervous kiss with the player just as its starting to rain, before nervously scampering off with a nervous apology- not giving the player ample time to respond to it. 

11-12 Hearts: If the player is within a relationship with them for over a year, there will be a cutscene where they propose to the player on one of their dates. However, if the player proposes to them first, they’ll get emotional and- depending on the player’s treatment to them- will say yes or no. The wedding is usually 3-4 days after the proposal all the same, and they wear a genuinely ambiguous outfit for their wedding. Afterwards, when they move in; they act usually very sweet and patient with the player, however there are instances where they won’t leave bed or the house due to a depressive mood. It’s noted that after the 10 heart cutscene, that they’ve started an antidepressant which the player will occasionally remind them of. They seem eternally grateful for the player, always having something either sappy to say- or borderline creepy due to their possessive nature. 

Lore Insight

Living with their sister, Yasmine, isn’t quite the walk in the park that they expected to on the farm. After all, dealing with their past mistakes and their past life is difficult- it constantly seeming to find a way to sneak back into their life. Especially considering there seems to be alot of bugs, and glitches, sneaking into the game. This is due to the nature of the 4th wall’s breaking coming with Yasmine knowing of her ability to shift between games other than Stardew Valley- and eventually Ren coming through with this ability as well. However, with Ren, the case is different since they cannot remember their adventures, besides what they see in their dreams. This explains how they hop between different save-files, and such of that nature. 

Depending on the year, they can go from a fake kind of bubbly behavior, to a depressive and anxious mess; however in later years they seem genuinely calm and happy. This is due to over time that their boyfriend and eventually husband; and their whole family being there through the recovery process as they come to terms with themselves, and get the help they need. Unlike in Shane’s route; they take much longer to recover and to start feeling something other than suicidal thoughts. 

Also depending on the year, they can be refered to as feminine or nonbinary/masculine pronouns, as they do come out as LGBTQ+ in late year 3. 

They are good in many things, especially in the creative department- and strive to try everything within the creative aspect at least once. Their other interests include gaming, cooking, taking care of animals, and spending time with their loved ones. They also enjoy riding on their horse, Jynx, and spending time by the small makeshift pier by the river down past Marnie’s farm. 

Depending on the time of the year, they either wear a daisy, tropically colored clip, or earmuffs on their head. It’s usually never drawn, mostly due to the artist’s forgetting. Shhh I’m sorry- 

Their mental disorders include Chronic Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, and possible specks on the Autism Spectrum. Due to this, they have issues trying to maintain relationships due to their social ineptness, and sometimes need to be alerted as to what social cues are when, and to what’s going on during some aspects. They also have many sensory issues, mostly tactile and listening processing. Due to this; they absolutely cannot go to the city without noise cancelling headphones, or just headphones in general for their own music. Otherwise, they’ll go into a sensory overload, which usually involves an internal panic attack, selective mutism, and in most times as a result they end up exhausted and falling asleep at any chance they get. At any time like this, they usually get verbally despondent, and emotionally detached from themselves and others. And usually, simply some time alone in a more quiet or desolate environment will calm them back down to their usual self. With their anxiety, it’s the exact opposite, instead getting overwhelmed with emotion to the point it debilitates their logic and reasoning. They usually turn into a shaking, sobbing mess that only company and time can solve, and sometimes the aftereffects take hours, or even over the span of a day or two to mend. This goes for their depression as well, and their PTSD mostly plays into their nightmares, or certain triggering people and names. Usually, this ends up with a mixture between their anxiety and sensory overload, where they will have a silent panic attack, a shaking wheezing mess that usually only their music can get them back in touch with reality. Usually they’re hardly able to speak during this time, so all that can really be done besides leave them be to listen to music- especially during the nightmares- and if they permit it, physical affection or attention. It’s also due to their PTSD that they are hesitant to have any sexual relationships. It’s also due to this, that it takes over a year after being married to decide to take the next step in their relationship and have a child of their own- even after insisting they never would want one. 

Alot of their PTSD surrounds their home life previously, and their past relationships. After all, they dealt with physical and mental abuse from their parents, psychological and emotional abuse from their past partners, and sexual and psychological abuse at work. Ontop of this; many of their friends had left them over the years, due to their own their own lack of social adeptness. 

Despite eventually getting beyond their sexual fears, they are actually less sexually active than most of their friends. Also despite this; Yasmine still likes teasing Ren that they’re sexual every other day. Their therapist does mention on occasion that being more sexually active might be more healthy for their marriage with their husband, but have yet to follow on that due to their inexperience with following through. 

Underneath their bandages along their arms are many, many scars. Depending on the year, they look either more recent, or faded in time as they stop doing self-harm as a means of unhealthy coping. They also have scars along their cheek, neck, and their right shoulder and arm as time goes on- due to their injuries and misadventures. Underneath however, they seem to have chest scars from the transitioning chest surgery they have in year 11, and a scar along their stomach from a stomach surgery back in year 1-2. They have one last scar along their back, from yet another misadventure leading to a need to be patched up later by Harvey. 

Because of their ADHD, they can sometimes space out entirely for several moments at a time, before snapping back to reality. This is due to their focus, which definitely wanes between having hyperfocus days, and ones where they can’t even focus on anything around them. They also have days of super high energy, and severely low energy. 

Because of their past relationships, which were either abusive or emotionally detatched, they didn’t have much of a sense of how they should be treated. Just as well, they feel like they need to earn simple little things like compliments, affection, and such of the like. Overtime though, due to their touchstarved nature, they become almost addicted to the physical touch- especially so of their husband. As a result, they can be overly affectionate.

Despite their lack of knowledge of intimacy- due to a lack of knowing of anything besides the abuse in the past- they seem to have a poetic grasp on it. To them, it’s the little habits that no one else sees, amongst friends, family, or romantic partners. To them; intimacy isn’t inherently sexual, but it’s personal. Something they do try to explain to Shane, even if he may or may not understand as well as they do with the way they explain it. 

Due to the stress of their past, and sometimes of the present- their immune system is absolute garbage. Because of this, they have a severe tendency to get very, very sick. Because of this, also, they have small more permanant illnesses, such as a stomach disorder that can cause them severe pain without specific medication. 

Going off of that, despite how often they get sick- they have a horrible habit of refusing to take medication. In the past; Yasmine, Harvey, and Shane would need to keep them pinned down so they actually take the medication- going so far as to waterboarding them to actually take it. 

Ren is also a very water-spirited person, despite nearly drowning many times in their life. They love involving themselves with things water related; including taking showers and swimming often enough. Though usually they are sheepish about swimming due to body discomfort and swimsuit self-consciousness, so they just tend to shower often- especially after a bad day. It’s also for this reason they love storms and rainy weather so much. 

Despite not feeling like they’ve earned compliments, and such, they absolutely revel in them despite how modest they act about it. Especially ones about how appreciated they really are, considering they constantly feel like a pain in the ass.

Their natural personality is actually surprisingly goofy and cheerful, which is possibly why that the original facade they hold up within the game. However, their goofiness and cheerful is very genuine as they recover, that side of them returning full force. While they can be very mature at times when its needed, they do prefer acting more soft and lighthearted. 

Due to either their abuse in the past, or perhaps their autistic probability, they do have days where their natural empathetic personality can be completely nonexistent- instead falling into an apathetic state. They have a higher tendency to get in trouble in this kind’ve mindset, so it’s best to keep them inside.

They can also be extremely possessive, similarly to a Semi-Lucid, but Selfish yandere. These days usually can be resolved with a day of physical attention. However, in this state, their jealousy and self-consciousness goes into overdrive.They have the capacity to hurt others, though not their lover, in this state- out of fear of losing them.